


Coming Home

by MaxBetta



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, sansan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 19:23:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 15,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13910550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaxBetta/pseuds/MaxBetta





	1. Chapter 1

Waterville, Maine.  This wasn’t where Sansa saw herself living at all. She was pondering the reality of her situation as she adjusted herself in the cramped coach seat, becoming increasingly aware of how little leg room she had. Granny Stark had been the matriarch of her family, and her sudden passing was a shock for all.  The most shocking, however, was that she had left her little cottage-style home to Sansa, of all people. Granted, selling watercolor paintings online for a living gave Sansa a great deal of flexibility with regard to her living arrangements, but a tiny house along the Kennebec river, at least 30 minutes from the nearest large city, was a bit of a stretch even for her. Somehow, though, she was going to make it work.  At least temporarily, until she could sell the damn thing. What the hell did she need a house for, anyway? She was a single woman, no partner, no children. It was way too much space for just her.

 

As the plane began to descend for its landing, Sansa grabbed her bag from its spot on the floor and pulled it to her, almost hugging it.  Maine wasn’t completely unfamiliar territory. She had grown up in that same area, her entire family living in houses within a couple miles of one another, so being out in the country was nothing to fear.  However, she had stayed in Texas after moving there for college. It had been over a decade since she had been back. How was she going to handle all that snow? What would she do during a blizzard? Could she figure out how to build a fire? It was almost overwhelming. She had a tendency to overthink everything to the point of exhaustion, and this situation was no different. As soon as the exit door was open, she made her way to luggage claim as quickly as possible. She spotted her purple hard shell suitcase and pulled it from the belt, popping up the handle and rolling it behind her toward the taxi line that had formed outside.

 

She was sitting in the cab on the way to her granny’s house when it hit her...she doesn’t have a car. How is she going to get anywhere?  Certainly she couldn’t afford to take a taxi for all of her needs. It was just one more thing she needed to sort out. One thing on a list of hundreds. Looking out the window, every road looked the same.  Huge evergreen trees, boughs sagging with snow, and a white blanket of snowfall covered the ground. Given her poor directional ability, she was going to have to download an app for finding her way around, otherwise she was going to find herself lost on a daily basis.

 

She saw a Starbucks and convinced the cab driver to pull through the drive-thru, offering to buy him a drink.  If she was going to have a million things to do, she was going to need some caffeine. When they resumed their drive toward Waterville, Sansa sipped her latte and thought of her grandmother. She hadn’t seen her in close to fifteen years, but her times with her in the past had always been pleasant and sweet.  She could remember stopping by her house in the afternoons just after school as a child. Granny would make her a chocolate milk and put out a small plate of cookies, and suddenly everything in the world seemed better. She missed seeing her grandma when she moved away for college. The pang of regret was heavy in her chest thinking about all the times that she could have visited over the years and didn’t. No use worrying about it now, though...there was work to do.

 

She noticed the cab was slowing to a halt.

 

“Here you are, miss. Just down that little side road.  They haven’t plowed it, so I can’t drive you there, but it’s not far...half a mile maybe.”

 

“Oh. Okay.” She handed the cab driver a tip and grabbed her bag and her suitcase.  The snow was at least six inches deep. Fortunately, she had checked the weather beforehand and thought to buy a pair of duck boots, which were now keeping her feet dry. As she made her way down the small snow-covered dirt road, she could see that there were two small houses at the end. Her grandmother had moved into her last house after Sansa had left the state for school, so there was no telling which one was her new home, she had never seen it before. One had dilapidated wood shingle siding, the other was grey stone with a rusty tin roof. As she got closer, she pulled a folded sheet of paper from her bag, checking the address. “Stone house it is.” Looking at the front yard, it was quite small. There was a little stone walkway that led from the dirt road to the front door. A door that, looking at it, appeared to be open.


	2. Chapter 2

Granny lived alone, and she was no longer living, so this was not good. Sansa fished through her bag for her phone and had 9-1-1 at the ready. She dropped both her bag and her suitcase on the snow covered ground and slowly walked toward the open door, listening for any clues as to who may be inside.  Silence. She gingerly pulled the door open wider with just her fingertips, peering inside to see if she could locate the intruder. Again, there was no noise. She took a few quiet footsteps across the large living area to the stone fireplace. Satisfied that she was alone, she placed her phone back in her pocket and retrieved her bag and suitcase from the walkway, putting them on the floor and closing the door firmly behind her. The door had clearly been kicked in. Yet another repair to add to the list.

 

Sansa pulled a spiral bound notebook out of her bag, as well as a pen, and began writing things down. Time to look around. The place felt surprisingly comfortable considering it was less than a thousand square feet. To the left of the front door was a cozy sitting area with a couple of old upholstered chairs, a small loveseat, and a large tufted ottoman that was home to a modest pile of books. There was a stone fireplace that reached all the way to the ceiling, and a large window next to the front door that brought lots of natural light into the room. Straight ahead was a wood staircase that went to the second floor, and there was a small powder room underneath. To the right was the little kitchen, with yet another fireplace.  There was a narrow white gas stove and an ancient refrigerator, and not much else in the way of appliances. There was a small wood round table with four chairs, and beside it, a little kitchen cart that held a few cookbooks and an old radio. The baby blue cabinets were in need of refinishing, and the countertop had to be replaced. A narrow wood door led to a tiny pantry. Just beyond the kitchen was a small nook that appeared to have been a reading area. There was one plush chair and a couple of bookcases, and a floor lamp to give ample light. The hardwood floors in the nook, and throughout the downstairs, would have to be sanded and refinished. Sansa was already to almost a full page in her notebook, and she hadn’t even seen the second floor yet.

 

Sighing, she took the steps one by one, finding that the upstairs was really just the one and only bedroom and tiny bathroom. The bedroom was just barely large enough to contain the full-sized bed and one chair, and of course, another fireplace. The bathroom had a white pedestal sink and a clawfoot tub, but no shower. Odd.  She made her way back down the stairs and toward the front door. Curb appeal was huge when it came to selling a home, so she needed to check out what she had to work with. 

 

The exterior of the home looked solid, though in need of pressure washing. The roof looked to be past its prime, hopefully she could get by with a few repairs and not have to pay for a full replacement.  As she was jotting this down in her notebook, a flash of bright red caught her eye. There was a man splitting firewood at the house next door. He was enormous, wearing jeans and a buffalo plaid flannel shirt, topped off with a black knit hat. He was watching her as she looked him over from a distance. Axe in hand, he began to walk over. Sansa didn’t know what to do. Should she run? Scream? Call the police? Beg for her life? She hadn’t come to a decision yet when he reached her, extending his arm for a handshake.

 

“Hi, I’m Sandor. You must be Sansa?”

 

She cautiously shook his hand. “Y-yes. How did you know who I was?”

 

“The hair gave you away. Your grandmother used to talk about you all the time, and she would always mention your red hair.”

 

“Oh.” Sansa suddenly felt awful...her Grandmother had always been so loving toward her, and now she knew that she even spoke about her to other people, and she never made any effort to visit.

 

“By now I guess you’ve noticed the place was broken into. They got away with the microwave before I realized what was going on and chased them off with my axe. Stupid teenagers. I doubt they’ll be back. I was going to fix the door this afternoon.”

 

“Oh, okay. Thanks for that.  You said my grandmother spoke to you about me...were you two close?”

 

“Sort of. We were neighbors , but I would help her with things around the house and in the yard. Sometimes I’d pick up groceries for her, check to make sure she had enough firewood, that kind of stuff. She’d try to give me money, but I’d negotiate her down to a home cooked meal or some baked goods. She was a fine woman, and damn talented in the kitchen. I’m going to miss her.”

 

“Me too.”

 

“So,, you decided to come live here?”

 

“Well, not exactly. I’m just staying here temporarily until I can fix up the place enough to get it sold. Then, who knows.”

 

“Oh, is that so? Interesting. Have you ever done that kind of thing before?  Renovating a house, I mean.”

 

“No, no. But there’s Youtube, and I watch HGTV a lot.”

 

“Yeah but, you’re going to have help, right?”

 

“No...I was just planning on doing it by myself. I can’t really afford to pay for professionals to do anything. I mean, I have enough saved up for repairs and maybe a few extra things, but that’s it.”

 

Sandor huffed, looked at the house, then back at Sansa. “Look, let’s make a bargain. I’ll help you with the work on the house, and you pay me however you can, even if it’s just a few meals a week or baking me something. Deal?”

 

“I don’t see how that could possibly be fair to you, paying you in cookies.  It sounds ridiculous, actually. Have you seen everything that needs to be done?”

 

He was visibly agitated. “For God’s sake, woman, just say ‘deal’ and we can move on.”

 

Sansa wasn’t used to being spoken to like this. What was his problem? “Okay, okay, fine. Deal.”

 

“Good. I’ll stop by later to fix the door and take a look around and see what else needs doing. You’ve got some trees that fell in the back, and one that’s leaning clear over the house. Those will have to be taken care of before anything else, just for safety’s sake. They should make good firewood, which you’ll need. After that, we can prioritize everything and get to work a little bit at a time. Six months or so, you’re going to have a damn fine house.”

 

Sansa was writing frantically in her notebook as he was speaking, trying to jot it all down. “Six months, got it.”

 

“Oh, and one more thing you’ll want to write down.  Don’t do anything stupid. If you get the urge to mess with electrical, or screw with the plumbing, or any other such nonsense, tell yourself to snap out of it. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper to do something once than it is to screw it up and have to pay to fix it. Got it?”

 

“Yes.” Sansa hated to admit it, but he was right. If she tried doing everything herself, she’d likely screw it up and then end up having to pay a professional anyway. With his help, maybe she could avoid all that. Maybe this project wouldn’t be so bad. Satisfied, he stomped back toward his house. She rubbed her hands together to generate some warmth and headed back inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Before she was going to be able to do anything, she needed to head to Main Street and pick up a few things. There was just one issue...no vehicle. She called around and finally found a rental company that would bring the car to her, the only catch was that she had to drive them back into town and drop them off. She scheduled a time about an hour in the future, giving her enough time to take stock of the kitchen and see what she would need to pick up from the market while she was out.

 

There was no food in the house, with the exception of one moldy loaf of homemade bread. It almost hurt to throw it away, knowing that Granny had made it with her own two hands, but there was no sense in keeping it.  Sansa rifled through the cupboards and drawers. There were plenty of dishes, bowls, cups, and mugs...plus a few pots and pans. There was one cast iron skillet she found that brought back a surge of memories. Her grandmother used to call it “the people feeder.” It was enormous, and you needed two hands to lift it. Aside from the usual cooking of bacon on the weekends, Granny filled it with homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast. 

 

Sansa continued looking about for anything she could find. In one of the top cabinets there was an ancient bottle of whiskey, at least a dozen different boxes of teabags, as well as a white teapot with blue flowers on it. It was the same teapot that they had used to play tea party when she was a little girl. Granny would bake something, and Sansa and Arya would sit with her, using their best manners. The girls drank chocolate milk, but Granny usually sipped on a steaming hot cup of Prince of Wales tea. Even now, just thinking about it, she could almost smell it. Spying a copper tea kettle on the stove, Sansa decided that when she came back from running errands, she was going to make herself a cup of the tea as a reward.

 

Finalizing her grocery list, she began bundling herself up for another trek outside when she heard the beep of a car horn. She peeked out the window and saw that it was the employee with her rental. She stepped outside, locked the repaired front door securely behind her, and headed for the car.

 

Main Street in Waterville could not have been more charming. Brick storefronts, carefully placed trees along the sidewalk, and plenty of little family owned shops and restaurants to choose form. She decided to check out a restaurant called “The Last Unicorn.” It was a little past lunchtime, and the hunger pangs in her stomach were letting her know it was time to eat. 

 

After dining on a surprisingly delicious chicken pocket and chips, Sansa wandered aimlessly for a bit, exploring the downtown scene. Eventually she made her way back to the rental and headed for the grocery store. Knowing how empty the refrigerator and cabinets were, she decided to go to a large chain store instead of a small independent one. She pulled into the parking lot at Hannaford, checked her list one last time, and made her way inside.

 

Sansa stuck to the basics, a stack of Lean Cuisine frozen dinners, a bag of coffee, a coffee maker, a box of cereal, a few boxes of cookies, three bottles of cheap wine and...what would she make for Sandor? She scanned the signs above the aisles for inspiration. A few minutes later, her cart now contained a frozen pizza, a few Hungry Man frozen dinners, and a case of Budweiser. If he was going to be stuck eating the awful food she cooked, he should at least be able to get drunk while doing it. 

 

Arriving back at the house, Sansa noticed it had warmed up quite a bit, and the afternoon sun seemed to be slowly melting the snow. When she brought the grocery bags into the house and put them on the kitchen table, she noticed an odd sound coming from the back yard. It was a cracking noise, accompanied by the occasional grunt. She hurried out the back door to see what was going on. She wasn’t expecting the sight that was before her.

 

It was Sandor, shirtless, wearing only dirty jeans and a pair of muddy boots. He was wiping the sweat from his brow, axe in his other hand. She watched as he placed a piece of wood on the large tree stump in front of him, lifted the axe high in the air, and brought it crashing down, splitting the wood in two. He was sweaty, skin glistening from a mix of perspiration and sunlight. His dark body hair covered him from his thick beard all the way down his neck, spreading into a large expanse of hair on his chest, then narrowing again into a black line that led to his waistband. She found herself wondering how far it went. His large hands were filthy, as if he had been digging in garden soil without gloves. He looked...delicious. She was staring. After a few seconds of taking him in, she realized that the situation could be quite uncomfortable were he to notice her presence, so she backed into the house and got to work putting the groceries away.

 

About an hour later, Sandor knocked at the door and asked to come in. It was getting cold again, and he offered to build a fire, since Sansa didn’t know how. While he did that, Sansa nervously pulled the frozen pizza out of the freezer and began following the instructions on the back of the package. Once it was in the oven, she headed back into the living room to check on the progress of the fire.

 

“Chimney needs to be cleaned. It’s fine for tonight, but it needs to be taken care of.”

 

“Sure, I’ll add it to the list.” Sandor plopped himself down on one of the chairs, obviously worn out from all of the physical work he had been doing. “I picked up some beer while I was out, can I get you one?”

 

“Sure.”

 

Sansa grabbed a bottle of Budweiser from the fridge and then realized...there was no bottle opener. She tried unscrewing it with her hand, which was just painful. Then, she wrapped a towel around it and tried again. Once again, it was painful and fruitless. Finally, she tried prying the cap off with a butter knife, resulting in a bent knife and a still unopened beer. Hearing all the fuss going on, Sandor came into the kitchen to see what was taking so long.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Sansa huffed, exhausted and embarrassed. “I can’t get it open, there’s no bottle opener.”

 

“Let me see.” She handed him the bottle and he twisted the cap off with ease using one of his giant paws. “Not so hard.” He gave her a smirk and made his way back into the living room.

 

Sansa was less than appreciative of how quickly he opened it. She was trying to think of a smart comment when she noticed the smell of something burning. Shit! It was the pizza. She quickly put a pair of oven mitts on and opened the oven door. There were clouds of smoke billowing out, causing her to cough. She pulled the pizza out, and slammed the oven door shut again.  It was ruined. The pepperoni were black and the cheese was chocolate brown, way past being desirable to eat. It looked like a round piece of cardboard with black polka dots. Maybe if she pulled the pepperoni off it would look better. So, she did. She picked off every piece of black pepperoni, and then sliced the brown pizza into quarters. She threw a couple slices on a plate and brought it to Sandor. He looked at the slices curiously, then took a bite. Then another. Sansa was pleased.

 

“I’m sorry it’s overcooked, but I’m glad you’re eating it. I guess it’s not that bad.”

 

Sandor grunted in agreement. “It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever eaten.”

 

Sansa began to feel better. “Well, that’s a relief.”

 

“When I was a boy, one of my schoolmates dared me to eat a piece of chalk.” Sandor glanced over at Sansa to see a look of aggravation on her face. It was oddly satisfying.


	4. Chapter 4

Early the next morning, Sandor arrived, chainsaw and axe in hand, and got to work on the rest of the troublesome trees in the backyard. Sansa drove into town again to pick up a few cleaning supplies. It was going to be a while before any real work could be done on the house due to the trees needing to be dealt with first, so cleaning it up would keep her busy, as well as make living there more tolerable. As soon as she got back home, she put her hair up in a loose bun and got to work. Her grandmother had been an exceptionally tidy woman, always cleaning up after everyone, never letting the dishes go more than an hour before they were washed...she seemed to actually enjoy it. Sansa was just the opposite. She loved a clean home, but hated cleaning. She had no choice in the matter this time though, there was no way that a filthy house would sell.

 

She started wiping the cabinets down with wood cleaner and a soft rag, meticulously getting into every last groove and crevice. Soon, she moved on to the countertops. She sprayed them down with anti-bacterial cleaner and wiped them thoroughly with paper towels. The floors were next. Her grandmother swore by Murphy’s Oil Soap, so that’s what she used. She mopped the entire kitchen floor, giving a good scrub where it was needed, and then stopped to take a look around. The kitchen was gleaming and pleasant smelling. All that was left to clean in there was the little kitchen cart. Sansa dropped to her knees in front of it and started going through the cookbooks there, trying to decide what to keep and what to donate, when she saw it, THE cookbook. It was nothing more than a shabby 3-ring binder, but what it contained was nothing short of gold. It was her grandmother’s personal recipe book. Sansa flipped through in anticipation. There were the recipes for cinnamon rolls, chicken and dumplings, pot roast, ginger molasses cookies, cinnamon raisin biscuits, Swedish apple cake, broccoli cheese quiche...they all were there. Directions for every meal and baked good that her grandmother had lovingly prepared for her during childhood were now  at her fingertips, and she knew just how she was going to use them. She felt a sudden spark of excitement.

 

On the floor next to the kitchen cart there was a cardboard box that had been sealed with tape. Sansa used a house key to rip it open, and to her delight, the contents were her grandmother’s blue willow china collection. It had to have been at least 50 years old, and each piece was still in pristine condition. Memories of holiday dinners with family gathered around the table flooded Sansa with emotion. She carefully set the box on the counter next to the sink so that she could figure out what to do with it later.

 

Just as the sun was beginning to set that evening, Sandor came in from working in the backyard and fell onto the couch. He was filthy, covered in sawdust here and there, and clearly exhausted. Sansa stuck a Hungry Man dinner in the new microwave she had picked up while in town. When it was cooked, she carried it to him in the living room, along with a cold beer.

 

“Sorry it’s just a microwave dinner, but I promise tomorrow’s meal will be better.”

 

Sandor looked down at the meal in his lap and sighed. “Couldn’t be worse...unless you made pizza again.”

 

Sansa frowned. “Oh yeah? Okay. How about this. Be here tomorrow morning, 9am. I’m going to cook you a delicious breakfast, and you’re going to enjoy it!”

 

Sandor looked at her in shock, surprised that he had so easily touched a nerve.  He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything she grabbed her grandmother’s recipe binder, and her purse, and stormed out. If she was going to cook him a decent meal tomorrow, she was going to need to visit the grocery store again.


	5. Chapter 5

It was 8am, and so far Sansa hand only managed to make a pot of coffee. She had picked up plenty of ingredients to make several of her grandmother’s recipes, so it was just a matter of choosing what to make and when to make it. Sandor would be over in an hour for breakfast and then to start going over the plumbing, so anything that took very long to cook was out of the question. She flipped through her grandmother’s binder when she came across a recipe labeled “Baked Eggs.” The directions said they only take about 20 minutes. Perfect.

 

Sansa preheated the oven to 325F and sprayed a muffin tin with nonstick spray. She carefully put one tablespoon of cream into the bottom of each cup, and then cracked an egg into each one, taking care to keep the yolks as close to the center as possible. She then sprinkled the tops with parmesan cheese and seasoned them with salt and pepper, and popped them into the oven. This cooking stuff was easy!  Fifteen minutes later, she pulled the muffin tin out and set it on the stovetop. The eggs needed to rest for five minutes, so it was the perfect time to make toast. She had just put the bread in the toaster when Sandor arrived for the day’s work. She let him in with strict instructions.

 

“Stay on the couch, I’ll tell you when you can come in the kitchen.”

 

“Yes, mother.”

 

A few minutes and quite a bit of footsteps later, he heard her call for him. “Okay, it’s ready, you can come in now!”

 

Sandor walked into the kitchen and then stopped in surprise. On the wood table there were two plates, each with eggs and slices of golden brown buttered toast that had been cut into strips. Beside each plate was a steaming cup of fresh coffee.

 

“Wow” was the only thing he could think of to say. Sansa smiled, thrilled to see him actually happy for once.  They sat and ate in silence, both enjoying their meal. When Sandor was finished, his plate was completely clean. He stood and pushed his chair in. “That...was fantastic.”

 

Sansa couldn’t believe her ears. “Th-thank you.”

 

He stood there for a moment, looking as if he wanted to say something more, but eventually turned and got to work.

 

Sansa finished her meal and then washed the dishes right away, as her grandmother would have. She had never lived in a home that didn’t have a dishwasher, and she thought she would have hated it, but washing dishes by hand had become almost enjoyable.  There was something about it that was almost...meditative. It was calming to gently run a soapy dishcloth over a dirty plate and make it clean again. And the fact that the dish soap smelled like a meadow full of Summer lavender didn’t hurt matters, either. After finishing with the dishes, she walked around the house looking for Sandor, only to see him standing outside.  He looked irritated about something. It was a fairly warm afternoon, so she went without a jacket and put on her duck boots, heading out to join him. She was walking through the mud about ten feet from where he was standing when he started shouting at her.

 

“Stop!  Don’t come any closer!”

 

She immediately began looking around for snakes or anything that would cause such an extreme reaction. “Why?  What’s going on?”

 

“Do you see the mud you’re in?!”

 

“Of course. Why?”

 

“That’s not mud! The septic tank backed up!”

 

“So you mean it’s...it’s…”

 

“Shit!  You’re standing in shit!”

 

Sansa immediately began gagging and covering her mouth, trying to find her way out of the “mud”, but somehow ending up deeper in it. Sandor let out a bellowing laugh that almost brought him to his knees, then turned around to get back to work.

 

“You’re laughing at me? Are you seriously laughing at me?!?! It’s funny, is it?” He ignored her. Sansa saw that there was a pile of old plastic flower pots on the ground next to her. She picked one up, used it to scoop up some of the brown sludge, and hurled it in his direction. It hit him square between the shoulders, leaving a brown stain on his flannel shirt. He whipped around, realized what had just happened, and began charging toward her. Sansa started running toward the house, laughing all the while. Sandor caught up to her and started tickling her all over. He was laughing as well.

 

“No, no, stop, pleeeease!” She was in a fit of giggles. He finally stopped.

 

“I’ve never seen you laugh like that” he confessed. “It suits you.”  Then he pulled off his soiled shirt and walked away, bare chested, to get back to the task at hand. Sansa couldn’t help but notice how muscular his back and shoulders were. It had been a while since she’d had a man in her life, and being in such close proximity with Sandor for several hours a day was bringing up desires that she had managed to keep at bay for quite some time. There was just something about him. Yes, he was grumpy. Yes, he could sometimes be bossy. But he was also helpful, and selfless, and painfully attractive. Nothing could happen, though. No, definitely not. Maybe.


	6. Chapter 6

With the plumbing taken care of, the next order of business was the electrical.  All of the wiring needed to be brought up to code. Sandor arrived in the early afternoon to remove a bit of drywall in order to see what sort of wiring they would be dealing with.

 

“Damn.”

 

“What, what’s wrong?”

 

“Knob and tube.”

 

“Is that bad?”

 

“It isn’t good.” He sighed in frustration. “You’re going to have to hire a professional for this one...all of the wiring has to be replaced throughout the entire house. I’ll make a few calls.” He went outside to make his phone call and came back in about thirty minutes later. Sansa was pacing back and forth worrying about what this was going to cost her.

 

“I found someone who can come out in an hour or so. It’s going to take a week, possibly longer.”

 

“So...I’m just supposed to live without power all that time?”

 

“You can stay with me”, he offered, rather nonchalantly.

 

Sansa swallowed. “I...I’ll pack a bag.” Perplexed by Sandor’s uncharacteristic act of kindness, she made her way upstairs and packed a few things into her suitcase.

The electrical work ended up taking two full weeks. The cost would have been over eight thousand dollars, but Sandor was able to get it down to half that much, saying that the electrician owed him a favor. The two weeks staying at Sandor’s place wasn’t at all as awkward or unpleasant as Sansa had feared. He had a second bedroom, so she had her own space with plenty of privacy. They ate mostly simple sandwiches, salads, and canned soups that were heated in the microwave. Sandor’s stove didn’t work properly, and it never occurred to him to have it fixed since he didn’t know how to cook anyway. When they weren’t visiting the house next door to supervise the work, they mostly relaxed by the fire and read books, sitting in companionable silence. Sometimes Sandor would get out his guitar and play for them, but for the most part it was quiet, until day thirteen.

 

He began asking Sansa lots of questions. He asked about her family, her college years, what her dream home would be, and so on. She told him about the box of her Grandmother’s china she had found, and how special it was to her. To her surprise, he seemed to actually be interested in her answers. The conversation wouldn’t go without a bit of ribbing, of course.

 

“Where are your waterproof boots? I haven’t seen you wear them since...well, you know.” He gave her a devilish grin.

 

“Ha ha, very funny.  If you must know, I threw them out.”

 

“Oh, come on, all you had to do was hose them off and they would have been fine.”

 

“Ugh...that’s gross. Typical man.”

 

“And what’s wrong with me being a man? You didn’t seem to mind it when I was splitting firewood for you. In fact, you seemed to enjoy it.”

 

Sansa’s heart pounded in her chest. He had seen her watching him. Why didn’t he say anything? Her face felt hotter than the fireplace she was sitting next to. 

 

“Relax, it’s not a big deal. I’m going to step out and visit the electrician for a few minutes, try not to do anything silly while I’m gone.” As soon as he had shut the door behind him, Sansa breathed a sigh of relief. That had been so...uncomfortable. Why did he bring it up?  Was it just to tease her? Or was he happy that she had watched him? She glanced around the room, once again admiring how nice his place was, considering he was a bachelor. It was fairly clean, well furnished, and comfortable. Just as she was letting her thoughts wander, Sandor came back inside.

 

“Good news. He said they’ll be finished by noon tomorrow.”

 

“Oh, great! I bet you’ll be glad to have your house to yourself again.”

 

“Yeah. Sure.” The look on his face was indecipherable.

Just after noon the next day, Sansa packed her things and made her way back to her house again. Sandor insisted on carrying her suitcase for her. She went upstairs and unpacked, storing her empty suitcase neatly under her bed. When she came back down, Sandor was staring at the kitchen fireplace, deep in thought.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“Nothing, just looking at what else needs to be done.”

 

“Okay. Well, I’m going to get started on dinner.”

 

“Am I allowed to ask what we’re having?”

 

“Sure, you can ask, but I won’t tell you.” 

 

“Typical woman.”

 

“Yes, well, this typical woman is getting dinner in the oven and then I’ll help you with the light fixtures and ceiling fans.  Now get out of the kitchen. Shoo!” She gave him a playful shove and he happily made his way out into the living area. Sansa had decided that she was going to make her grandmother’s pot roast. It was a dish that had always been her father’s favorite, and she knew Sandor would be impressed. They had made a run to the store once they knew the power was back on in the house, so she had everything she needed. She chopped up the carrots and potatoes and browned the chuck roast. Then, everything was put in a cast iron dutch oven with a splash of red wine and a cup of beef broth. Once the lid was on, the roast would bake in the oven for four hours, until it was so tender that the simple pull of a fork caused it to fall apart.

 

When the roast was in the oven and all of the prep mess had been cleaned up, Sansa joined Sandor in the living room and they got to work. Several hours and three ceiling fan installations later, dinner was ready.  Once again, Sandor was banished to wait on the couch. Sansa arranged the tender pieces of roast on the plates, and she made a quick gravy with the drippings, pouring it over the potatoes and carrots that she had arranged on each plate. 

 

“Okay, it’s ready.  You can come in now.”

 

Sandor walked in and plopped down into his chair. He scooped up a forkful of meat and took a bite. He took three more bites of the meat, and then a few of the vegetables.  After a few minutes of utter silence, Sansa couldn’t wait anymore.

 

“Is...is it okay?”

 

He looked at her with the biggest smile she had seen on him yet. “I think I’m in love.”

 

Sansa’s pulse raced at the thought. “What?”

 

“Sansa...this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted. Whatever you did, it’s perfect.” His voice was full of such sincerity that Sansa was speechless. “Thank you.”

 

Almost an hour later, they were done eating. Sandor had gotten seconds, and thirds, and then cut himself off, but Sansa insisted on sending him home with leftovers. As they were saying goodnight at the door, and without realizing it, Sansa had put her hand on his shoulder. A few moments later, Sandor looked at her hand, and then back up at her face. She drew her hand back, a bit unnerved by how she had touched him. He simply smiled and went on his way.


	7. Chapter 7

Sansa had gotten up earlier than usual, showering and dressing in her most professional looking outfit. She had received a voicemail the day before from a local attorney that had represented her grandmother. Although the house was legally hers, she still had a bit of paperwork to fill out in order to finalize everything, so she headed into town to meet the attorney at his office. While driving into town, she found herself distracted by thoughts of Sandor. She was attracted to him, that was true...but the other night when she put her hand on him...thoughts and actions are two very different things. She was going to have to be careful and make sure nothing like that happened again.

 

Everything went smoothly at the attorney’s office. All of the paperwork was signed and notarized, and official copies were filed with the courthouse. Since she was downtown already, Sansa decided to hop into the library and pick up a book or two. She had always loved reading as a girl, and well into her teen years, but as she got older she found that she was reading less and less. All of her entertainment seemed to come from TV or the internet. Spending the past few weeks here had done her a great deal of good. She was reading more and more, and enjoying the slower pace of things. This way of living was definitely something she could get used to.

 

When she arrived home, she opened the front door to find that there was a roaring fire in the living room fireplace. Sandor had texted while she was out, letting her know that he would be in her house “doing stuff”, whatever that meant. She grabbed her new books and headed toward the little reading nook beyond the kitchen when she stopped rather abruptly. As she entered the kitchen, she saw that Sandor was there. He was putting tools back into his toolbox. When she looked up, she saw what he had been working on, and she could have wept. Above the kitchen fireplace, Sandor had built two large shelves, which now displayed her grandmother’s china. She could feel tears welling in her eyes. It was such an unexpected gesture, she didn’t know what to say.

 

“Do you like it? I can paint the shelves a different color if you want.”

 

Sansa walked toward him without saying a word and threw her arms around his waist, pulling him as close to her as she possibly could. When she finally broke the embrace, she stood beside him, both of them surveying his work.

 

“It’s perfect. Thank you. Thank you so much.” Sansa stood on her toes and leaned toward him to give him a small kiss on the cheek. He wasn’t paying attention and he turned his face toward her, resulting in the kiss landing on his lips instead. They both froze, and after a few seconds of awkwardness, Sansa took a step back.

 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

 

“It’s alright. I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He picked up his toolbox and left. There was no lingering chitchat at the door that evening. He was gone for the night, and her mind, and pulse, were both racing.


	8. Chapter 8

Sandor returned at 8am the next morning to pick up Sansa. They needed to take his truck into town in order to rent the machine needed for sanding the wood floors. The existing flooring in the house was exactly what buyers were looking for, so she decided to sand and refinish it rather than replace it. The floor sanding machine was heavy and Sansa had to help Sandor load it in and out of the truck. They each wore masks over their mouths to keep from inhaling the clouds of dust that began the moment they first turned it on. They had decided to do one room per day, that way they could move the furniture around as needed instead of moving it all at once. It was going to take almost a week to do the sanding, and then the finishing and sealing would follow.

 

Sansa supervised for the most part as Sandor glided the sander back and forth over the floor, getting rid of half a century of wear and making the planks look fresh and new. She was distracted often by thoughts of the accidental kiss. He was so difficult to read. She couldn’t tell if he was disgusted, or excited, or indifferent. Even now, days later, she could feel the embarrassment in her chest whenever she thought about that moment. He hadn’t said anything, and he likely wouldn’t. He just showed up, day after day, as if nothing had ever happened. Maybe that was for the best.

 

After a week of sanding and a few back and forth bickering sessions over whether it was best to go with or against the grain, it was time to apply the finish. Sansa had picked a dark espresso shade. It would add a bit of elegance, especially when paired with the white baseboards that would come later. It took a couple of days to apply it all, but the end result was gorgeous. Now, to seal it.  They would apply the sealant one room at a time, just as they had done with the finish. Sandor had insisted that he wanted to do the sealing with polyurethane on his own. “I don’t need you hovering around me, chirping like a little bird. Go on, find something else to do, and I’ll let you know when it’s done.” Not wanting to argue, she complied.

 

A few hours later, Sansa returned from her shopping spree and trip to the library. Bags in hand, she opened the front door and called out to make sure she wouldn’t ruin the sealant by stepping on it.

 

“Sandor?! I’m back! Can I walk on the floor yet?!”

 

Sansa’s inquiry was met with raucous laughter.

 

“Why are you laughing?  What’s so funny? Can I come in or not?!”

 

Again, more laughing. Sansa tried to decipher which room it was coming from. It sounded like the kitchen. She walked around the outside and came in through the back door, finding Sandor lying on his back, arms straight up in the air, fingers moving as if they were playing an imaginary piano.

 

“What the...what is wrong with you?” The fumes began to assault her nose, burning the back of her throat. “Did you forget to open windows?  Oh my God. You’re supposed to ventilate when you’re using polyurethane! Don’t you know that? You’re...high!” She immediately opened every door and window that was nearby.

 

As he watched her scramble, he erupted with more and more laughter. Sansa tried helping him stand by pulling at his hands, but it was no use. He was a 250lb ragdoll. A big, hairy, laughing mess.

 

“Sandor, please, you’re freaking me out.”

 

He finally stopped laughing long enough to speak. “Ah, little bird. Tweet tweet tweet. Such pretty feathers” He looked up at her face, and his expression became serious. “Do you love me?”

 

Sansa was aghast. “W-what? Why would you ask me that?”

 

“I don’t know. Sometimes I think about you a lot. I like your face and your hands and...sometimes I wonder what it would be like.”

 

Sansa gulped. “You wonder what WHAT would be like?”

 

His eyelids were now heavy and half shut. “Shhhnnnnmmmmph.” 

 

“What does that mean? What is ‘shhhnnnnmmmmph?’” She began shaking his shoulders, but it was no use, he was asleep. How could he fall asleep like that?  And what did the think about? What did he mean? Waiting for him to wake up was going to be torture.

 

Sandor slept on the floor all night. After a few hours, Sansa brought him a pillow and a blanket, carefully placing the pillow under his head and draping the blanket over his huge body. It wasn’t big enough to cover all of him, just from his collarbone to his knees. Still, it was better than nothing. Sansa made herself a cup of lemon ginger herbal tea, quickly taking the kettle off of the burner just before it whistled. If he was that exhausted, she was going to let him rest.

 

Sansa awoke the next morning to find Sandor gone. She wondered what time he had woken up, and if he remembered anything about their conversation the day before. She went about her usual morning routine...putting away the dishes that dried overnight, starting a load of laundry, and making a pot of coffee. She was halfway into her second cup when Sandor got there. She let him in and offered him a mug, and he accepted. Their interaction was completely ordinary.  _ He doesn’t remember. _

 

Sansa made them a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and oven bacon, both recipes that her grandmother had written down in her binder. As she placed their finished plates on the table, she decided it was time to open up the conversation a bit deeper.

 

“So...do you remember anything about yesterday?”

 

He replied through a mouthful of bacon, “Should I?”

 

“Well, it seemed that you didn’t open the windows when you were using the polyurethane, and you were a little loopy when I came home. You were laughing like crazy, actually, and you passed out.”

 

“Oh?  I knew I had slept on your kitchen floor, I just didn’t know how I got there.”

 

Time to test the waters. “Do you remember anything about the conversation we had?”

 

“No.”

 

His voice said no, but his eyes and his face were screaming otherwise. He was actively avoiding her gaze. Satisfied with his visibly flushed cheeks, Sansa decided not to press further. They ate the rest of their meal quietly and then began their tasks for the day. Sandor opened the windows and got to work on sealing the floor of another room while Sansa got on her hands and knees and painted the baseboards in the room he had already finished. By noon, Sansa was done. She decided she would go find Sandor and see what she could make them for lunch. When she approached him, he looked as if he was trying to hide a smile.

 

“What? What is it?”

 

He suppressed a chuckle. “You’ve been painting.”

 

“Of course I have, you knew that. What’s so funny?”

 

Sandor put down the tool he had been using and slowly walked closer, until he was standing toe to toe with her. He reached one hand up to her face and brushed his thumb along her left cheek, just under her eye, then showed it to her. It had a faint smear of white. “You should be more careful, little bird. Wouldn’t want to get any paint in those blue eyes of yours.” He wiped his thumb on his coveralls, turned around, and went back to work. His touch, and his tone, had both been surprisingly gentle, almost soothing. Maybe there was truth to what he had said to her on the kitchen floor.


	9. Chapter 9

It was the end of a long and exhausting day. All of the floors were now finished, and all of the baseboards had been painted, so it was just a matter of putting the furniture back and making the place feel comfortable again. It had gotten chilly out, so Sandor had built them a fire in the living area where they were taking a rest. Sansa had noticed that his voice was a bit more raspy than usual.

 

“Are you sick?”

 

“Think so.”

 

“Have you been taking anything? Nyquil? Mucinex? Anything?”

 

“No, and I don’t plant to. Leave it alone, will ya? My throat is a bit sore, that’s all.”

 

Sansa was thinking up a stinging reply when suddenly they were in darkness with only the glow of the fire illuminating the room.

 

Sansa was less than thrilled. “Great, power’s out.”

 

“You’ve got the fire and plenty of wood, you’ll be fine. It’s just a storm, it’ll blow over. I need to get going, though. Bout time for me to get some sleep.”

 

The rain and wind were really beginning to pick up, as well as the thunder and lightning.

 

“Sandor...why don’t you just stay here. You’re already not feeling well, and if you walk the pouring rain you’re just going to feel worse.”

 

He didn't have the energy to argue. “Fine. As long as you’ll leave me be. I don’t want to have to listen to your chirping all night.” He lifted his legs onto the couch, crossed his arms at his chest, and shut his eyes. He was asleep within minutes. Sansa wasn’t so tired. She walked around a bit, going from room to room, making mental notes of ideas and changes she’d like to make. She had used a little camp stove she found in the pantry to boil water, so she enjoyed a few cups of herbal tea, peppermint this time. She loved the smell as she lifted the teacup to her mouth. After a bit, she decided to sit in the reading nook and read by candlelight until she was tired enough to go to bed. As she sat there, she could hear Sandor coughing sporadically, and then it became more frequent. She got up and checked the medicine cabinets in both bathrooms, but there was no cold medicine, only an old jar of vapor rub. 

 

Sansa approached him cautiously, trying not to startle him. He was wearing a polo shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar. Maybe, just maybe, if she was quiet enough, she could put some of the vapor rub on his chest without waking him. Removing the lid was the easy part, it popped off without a hitch. She delicately dipped just two fingers into the jar, and set it on the ottoman. Kneeling on the floor beside the couch, up by where his shoulders were, she slowly pressed her fingers to his chest just below his neck. Moving in circles, she gently rubbed, trying to make sure it made it through his mass of chest hair and reached the skin. Feeling bolder, she spread out her entire hand and used it to continue massaging the substance into him, feeling the muscle beneath the skin, enjoying his warmth. She was just starting to work her way up closer toward his neck when she saw them, two large eyes, staring right at her. How long had he been watching?

 

“What are you doing?” he whispered.

 

“I, um. I wanted to help you sleep.”

 

“By waking me?”

 

Shit. There was no good response. “I’m going to make us some tea.” She stood up, faster than he could blink, and rushed into the kitchen. When she returned about five minutes later, he was sitting upright by the end of the couch, close to the fireplace.

 

“Here.” She handed him a steaming cup.

 

He took a sip. “That’s good. What kind of tea is it?”

 

“It’s just decaf black tea, with honey, and a little bit of whiskey. It’s good for a cold.”

 

“I don’t know about that, but it tastes great.  Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

They sat around the fire and talked for a bit, finishing their tea, comfortable in one another’s company. The sound of the rain hitting the tin roof was having a calming effect. Sandor fell asleep again, and Sansa put their teacups in the sink, then made her way up to her room. As she passed him, deep in a liquor induced slumber, she leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. “Good night, Sandor.”


	10. Chapter 10

Sansa came down the next morning to find that the power was back on and that Sandor had woken up at some point and let himself out. The blanket she had draped over him was folded into a neat square and replaced onto the back of the couch. She shuffled slowly into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee brewing. As she was putting the clean dishes away, thoughts of the night before came forward in her mind. He looked so pitiful when he wasn’t feeling well. It felt good to take care of him the way that she had. It felt...natural. This wasn’t just a matter of enjoying stolen glances at his physique anymore, it had become much more than that. If they had been a couple, she would have snuggled up under the blanket with him and rubbed his back and his shoulders until he fell asleep. She wanted to do all of that, and more, very badly.

 

All that remained to be done to the house was a freshening up of the exterior and then the landscaping. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating. It was yet another day of storms and heavy pouring rain. Sandor likely wouldn’t be visiting, but maybe she could lure him over with the promise of a home cooked meal. She flipped through her treasured recipe binder and found the perfect dish for the occasion, chicken and dumplings. She grabbed her phone and texted him: “Dinner is at 7, see you then.” Now, it was time to get the chicken leg quarters boiling. The recipe takes two hours total to make, and there are a lot of steps, but the end result is worth it.

 

Sandor arrived promptly at 7pm, wearing his usual outfit of a pair of jeans and a plaid flannel shirt. He still wasn’t completely over his cold, but he was feeling better. He looked good, at least. But then again, he always looked good in Sansa’s eyes. They sat at the table and each ate a steaming bowl of chicken and dumplings. Sandor had seconds, of course. When they were both finished, they moved into the living room, sitting by the fire, enjoying the golden glow. His nose sounded a bit stuffy as he breathed, and his voice was still more hoarse than his usual rasp.

 

“Got any more of that tea that you made me last night?”

 

“Sure, I’ll go make us some.” Sansa jumped at the chance to do something for him again. It was as if, in some small way, he needed her...and it felt good.

 

A few minutes later, Sansa returned to the living room with two piping hot mugs of tea, both with honey and whiskey. She handed Sandor his mug, and then sat on the couch next to him, cautiously sipping from hers.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Oh, you’re welcome.”

 

He took a swig of the hot liquid. “I never would have thought to put whiskey in tea.”

 

“My grandmother told me about it when I was younger.”

 

He took another sip. “What else did she tell you about?”

 

“Everything. Life. Love. She used to say that there was a secret to keeping a man, but I’m not going to say it.”

 

“Oh, come on, now you have to say it.”

 

Sansa was beginning to blush. “I can’t, it’s dirty.”

 

“Is this supposed to make me not want to hear it? Because it’s backfiring.”

 

“Alright, fine, fine. She used to say...oh my God, I can’t. I just can’t.”

 

“Christ, woman, just say it!”

 

“Fine.  She used to say that the secret to keeping a man...is to keep is belly full and his balls empty.”

 

Sandor spit out a bit of tea and surrendered to a deep belly laugh. Sansa was mortified. They drank their tea in quiet for the remainder of his visit, which was fine. They were comfortable with one another at that point that they didn’t feel the need to fill every silence. 

 

Later, when Sansa walked him to the door as he was leaving, he took a moment to clear his throat. “You know, some people say that whiskey is ‘liquid courage’...I hope that’s true.”

 

“Why? Do you need courage to fight off your cold?”

 

He answered, much quieter. “No.” He leaned forward toward Sansa and pressed his lips to hers, keeping them there for several seconds, then backing up and walking away. It was a nice, polite kiss. But it was also a breakthrough. He had made a move, and now Sansa knew that he felt the same for her as she did for him. As she watched him walk toward his home, she wished they were at a point where they could spend the night together. She didn’t want him to go away. She wanted more.


	11. Chapter 11

It was finally time to deal with the exterior of the house. The stone walls needed to be pressure washed to get rid of decades of mildew and grime. The walkway was going to have to be washed, too. A contractor was stopping by in a few days to oversee the installation of a new tin roof. The new one was going to have some kind of a rust proof coating. The old roof unfortunately had too many holes and was beyond repair.

 

Sandor was coming over later in the day so that they could install new gutters together. It had been several days since he kissed her at the front door, and things had been strained. It was as if neither of them knew how to act around one another now. She had thought he would be warmer toward her, but the opposite seemed to be true. Whenever he spoke with her, it was gruff and cold, as if nothing had happened between them.

 

That afternoon, Sansa and Sandor successfully installed gutters around the house, in almost total silence. Aside from giving her directives, he barely spoke, and his body language was stiff. When they were done, Sandor came down the ladder, gave Sansa a brief nod, and then started walking in the direction of his house.

 

“Sandor, wait!  I have something for you.” He stopped, looking impatient. Sansa ran inside for a few seconds and then came back out, handing him a small tin.

 

“What’s this?”

 

“Open it.”

 

Sandor opened the tin to find it filled with over a dozen cookies.

 

“They’re ginger molasses. You mentioned a while back that they were your favorite.”

 

He continued looking down at the tin, closed the lid, gave Sansa a curt nod, and went home.

 

A few days later, the roof people came. Sansa dealt with them herself. Sandor was being weird, and a home renovation was stressful enough without adding relationship drama. And they weren’t even in a relationship! Were they? Sansa signed the worker’s clipboard and handed them a check. She looked over to Sandor’s place, feeling like he was watching her through his window,  but she never could catch him looking. She finally gave up and went inside. What a shitstorm this had become. All she wanted was to put on a pair of thick socks, drink a soothing cup of tea, and lose herself in a fantastic book.


	12. Chapter 12

With the exterior walls being clean and the new roof in place, all that was left was the landscaping. Sandor texted Sansa and insisted on helping, so he was there with her at the kitchen table, sketching out a plan. Surprisingly, he was letting Sansa give the orders.

 

“I want to keep the hydrangeas. I’d like knockout roses along the front, they’re easy maintenance. Oh, and put it in bold somewhere, we have to keep the blackberry bushes.”

 

“You have blackberry bushes?”

 

“Yeah, along the back, there’s a ton of them.”

 

“Eat a lot of blackberries, do ya?”

 

“Not right now, but I did in the past. At my grandmother’s old house, we used to pick them. There would be so many, sometimes we’d be out there for a couple of hours, but I never complained because I knew we’d have cobbler for dessert that night and syrup for waffles the next morning.”

 

“Ah, I’ve had that blackberry syrup. I didn’t know she made it. Thought it came from the store.”

 

“Nope, came from her.  Now let’s see..” Sansa was trying to avoid any deep conversation with him. She didn’t want there to be any more awkwardness than there already was. “I think some stone borders along the flower beds would be nice, and dark brown mulch. And...no, that’s it. I think that’s all for now.”

 

It was a warm and sunny day, so they decided to go ahead and get started. List in hand, they took Sandor’s truck to the local nursery and picked up rose bushes and mulch, as well as border materials. When they got back home, they unloaded the truck without talking. Sandor seemed to be trying to engage Sansa in trivial conversation, but she wasn’t taking the bait. The two of them worked hard all afternoon, raking up old mulch and leaves and pulling any plants that didn’t belong. They installed the bed borders and planted the roses. Sandor was patting down the soil around the last rose bush when he heard a blood curdling scream. Sansa came running toward him, slamming herself up against his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

 

“It’s...it’s a….mouse!  And it’s dead! It was in the bag of mulch!”

 

Sandor wrapped his arms around her, noticing how much he enjoyed holding her like that. It felt good to know that she had come to him for comfort. Almost as soon as his arms were around her, she backed out of the embrace.

 

“Why did you back away?”

 

“I...don’t want to make things any weirder than they already are.” She was being sincere.

 

He extended a hand out to her. “Come on. Break time. Let’s go for a walk.”

 

She let him take her hand and they walked through the backyard and toward the riverbank. He stopped when they were among a series of large trees. He put his hands in his pockets and Sansa leaned her back up against an enormous trunk.

 

‘“Sansa.” He was looking right at her now. “I’m not good with words. And I’m even worse with feelings.”

 

“You kissed me. You kissed me on the lips and then you ran away and you’ve been different ever since. I don’t even know how to be around you anymore.”

 

He sighed and gave a slight nod. “When I kissed you...it was something I had thought about for a long time, but I always stopped myself from doing it. I didn’t want to mess things up.”

 

“If you didn’t want to mess things up then why did you act so bizarre afterward?”

 

“Because I couldn’t keep myself from doing it. I had lost control. I had to kiss you, and I didn’t even think to ask if you wanted me to.”

 

Sansa felt herself soften a bit at his words. “Well, the truth is, I had thought about it a lot, too.”

 

He looked at her as if she had just given him a precious gift. There was a soft cracking in the distance, a flash of light in the dark clouds, followed by a sudden downpour of rain. In three quick strides he was in front of her, bending down until they were nose to nose, and finally covering her lips with his. Sansa responded by putting one hand on his chest and the other on the back of his head, pulling at the hair she found there. Everything about their kiss was warm, and wet, and luscious. The rainwater made it easy for her hands to glide over his skin, up and down his arms, along the side of his face, everywhere that she could reach. She wanted to touch all of him, and for him to do the same in return. They were drenched, but the moist heat of their bodies pressed against each other kept the cold away. As they continued savoring one another, his fingertips ghosted over her jawline and down to her collar bone. After a few more seconds he stopped, pulling his mouth back but placing his forehead up against hers, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs.

 

“I don’t want to ask too much of you. Just...don’t give up on me so easy. Deal?”

 

Sansa was still catching her breath. “Deal.”


	13. Chapter 13

Less than a week later, the house was finished. The inside had been redone, and the outside spruced up with a good cleaning, a new roof, and fresh landscaping. Sansa had planned all along to get the house presentable so that it would fetch a decent amount when it sold, but if she were being honest with herself, she had grown to love the place. It was quaint, and cozy, and after putting so much hard work into it, it felt like home. Standing in the entrance and looking around, every room she saw spawned a memory. The living room made her think of the time she took care of an ill Sandor and they chatted by the fire. The kitchen reminded her of the time she found him on his back, all goofy from accidentally inhaling fumes. The front door brought about thoughts of their first kiss. The front yard had been where they first met, and the backyard...oh, the backyard. It was where she had experienced the most erotic kiss of her life so far. Sansa tried shutting the memories out of her mind, they would just make the inevitable more painful. Ready to take the next step, she picked up her phone and called a real estate agent.

 

Sansa hired the agent, wanting to get everything over with as soon as possible. He came by for a look around, and agreed to do an open house that weekend. In preparation, Sansa would be deep cleaning the place from top to bottom. It would be a welcome distraction from the thoughts and fears that invaded her mind night and day. After the best kiss of her existence, she and Sandor had a difficult conversation. She admitted that she cared for him a great deal, but that the plan was never for her to stay. She would be moving forward with the sale of the house, and moving back to Texas as soon as it sold. He seemed to take it well enough at the time, but he had given her radio silence ever since. He didn’t visit anymore. She missed him. Good thing she hadn’t let herself fall in love with him.

 

The morning of the open house, Sansa nervously set out a carafe of freshly brewed coffee and a large pan of two dozen giant homemade cinnamon rolls. She had trouble sleeping the night before, so she figured she might as well bake. The real estate agent showed up and was surprised to see that she wasn’t ready to head out the door. Apparently it was best for potential buyers if the current owner wasn’t there, so Sansa agreed to leave. She threw on a light jacket and walked toward her rental car, but there was an odd pulling inside of her. What would happen if she visited Sandor instead? She wrestled with the idea for several moments, and after more than enough hesitation, she made her way toward his house. She knocked on the door and he answered almost immediately. He must have been watching. He stood there, holding the door open, but didn’t utter a word.

 

“Hey. I’m sorry to bother you. It’s just, I can’t be at my house right now, and...I miss you.”

 

His expression softened a bit at her confession, and he welcomed her inside. For the next couple of hours they sat by his front window, watching all of the potential buyers come and go. There were single people, young couples, families. After a while, they started to play a game where they would make up names and occupations for the people. Sandor was the best at it.

 

“Okay, these two.  That’s...Harold and Nance. They go to church every week, never miss a Sunday. He’s a high school English teacher and she sells cat needlepoint art on Etsy. If they get the house, they’re going to Chili’s to celebrate. He’ll wear his ‘good’ khakis.”

 

Sansa covered her mouth with one hand but she could barely contain her giggles. It was nice to be with him again. It just felt right. He made her laugh, put her at ease, and worked so hard for all these months and got nothing but a few meals and some cookies. Why couldn’t she have met him in Texas?

 

At 4pm, the scheduled end time for the open house, Sansa headed back, Sandor in tow. The real estate agent was in a cheerful mood. Sansa had lost count of how many people had come, but she glanced at the kitchen table and saw that all of the cinnamon rolls were gone. Hopefully it was a good sign.

 

“Well, Ms. Stark, it went beautifully. You have a lovely home. I’m optimistic that we’ll be receiving a few offers. I’ll contact you as soon as I hear anything.” He left, and now Sandor and Sansa were alone again. She decided to start cleaning up the crumbs, dirty dishes, and other messes that had been left behind. Sandor clicked on the old radio, turning the tuner until a song played clearly. He stopped when he heard “Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith. He looked around and saw Sansa at the sink, washing dishes. He came up behind her, put his hands on her waist, and nuzzled into her hair.

 

“What are you doing? I’m trying to clean up.”

 

“Take a break. Just for one minute. I want to dance with you.”

 

“But my hands are wet.”

 

“I don’t care.”  He slowly spun her around, and she put her arms around his waist. They swayed back and forth, studying each others faces. It felt so safe in his arms, like nothing in the world could bother her. When the song ended, she took his hands in hers and took one step backward. 

 

“You know I have to move.”

 

“Yeah, you’ve mentioned that a time or two.”

 

“Texas is where my life is. It doesn’t mean that I don’t...that this wasn’t…”

 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” He was visibly disappointed. “I’ve got stuff to do, I better go.” He let go of her hands, kissing the back of one before releasing it, and left. It hurt Sansa to tell him the truth. It would have been so much easier if they lived in some perfect world where they could be together whenever they wanted. Life doesn’t work that way.


	14. Chapter 14

Less than 24 hours after the open house, Sansa received a call from her real estate agent that there were three offers on the house. They were all for the same base amount, but one was willing to add an extra five thousand dollars cash if they could move in within a week. Sansa told the agent that she was going to think everything over and give her an answer by 5pm the next day.

 

Since it looked like the house would be selling soon, Sansa hopped into her rental and visited the liquor store for boxes. When she got home, she started packing things right away. The busier her hands were, the quieter her mind was. She carefully boxed up her grandmother’s china, admiring again the shelves that Sandor had built for her. It was such a thoughtful gesture, and unexpected. It was nice to have seen that sweet side of him, even if it was only for a short while.

 

It was around 7pm when Sandor showed up. It was a welcome, but unexpected, visit. His face changed the moment he came in and saw the cardboard boxes piled in each room.

 

“Hey, I was going to call you later. I got three offers on the house.”

 

“Congrats. You must be thrilled.”

 

“No. Not thrilled. Just...ready to get back to my normal life, I guess.”

 

“So when do you move out?”

 

“Well, one of the offers said they would pay extra for me to leave within one week of acceptance. I guess they really want the house.”

 

“Guess so. Did you accept the offer yet?”

 

“No, I’ll make that call tomorrow. Right now I’m just getting a head start.”

 

“Right. Well, before you do too much, you should know that there’s another offer.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean...there’s another offer.”


	15. Chapter 15

Sansa stood there in stunned silence. What offer? Did HE want to buy the house? What could he possibly be talking about?

 

“I would like to offer you...unlimited yardwork and home maintenance, both free of charge. The only catch is, you can’t move.”

 

Sansa groaned with exasperation. “Sandor, we’ve been through this. My life isn’t here.”

 

“No...but I’m here. And I want you here, too.”

 

“But…”

 

“Stay.” He stepped toward her and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. “I don’t know what this is yet, but I want to find out.”

 

Sansa whimpered into his sleeve. “Whatever it is, it feels wonderful.”

 

“Sansa, I can’t beg you. I don’t know how to. I just need you to stay.”

 

She looked up at his grey eyes, meeting his stare, searching for any trace of doubt or hesitation, but there was none.

 

“Okay.”

 

“Really?!”

 

Sansa took a couple of steps back. “I have an offer for you in return.”

 

“Uh oh. Go on.”

 

“I’ll stay. But I’d like for you to join me upstairs and spend the night here. In my bed. With me.”

 

He didn’t give a verbal answer, but the way he scooped her up in his arms and carried her swiftly up the stairs was clear acceptance. When they reached the second floor, he laid her down on the bed, and his own body covered hers seconds later. He kissed her deeply and passionately, just like he had when they were outside in the rain. His hands began roaming, feeling, caressing every bit of skin he could reach. Sansa let a soft moan escape her lips.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Why are you sorry?”

 

“I..I made a noise. You’re always telling me to be quiet.”

 

“Oh, not anymore, little bird. From now on, you can chirp all you like...especially in the bedroom.”

 

***  


The next day, Sansa awoke in her bed, warm and delightfully sated from their night of intimacy. It startled her to see that Sandor was no longer beside her. Just as she was beginning to think the worst, she heard the front door close. She put on her robe and slippers and headed downstairs to see what was going on. She was greeted with the sight of Sandor in nothing but a pair of boxers, holding the “For Sale” sign that had been in the front yard.

 

“I figured you didn’t need it anymore.”

 

A big smile spread across Sansa’s face. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. Now, what should I make us for breakfast?”

 

“First things first. I think you’ve got a phone call to make.” He kissed her good morning and handed her the phone. Sansa called the real estate agent and told them that the house was no longer for sale. He hung up on her. Good riddance.

 

Sansa headed into the kitchen and decided to make Swedish apple cake for their breakfast. After she started a pot of coffee brewing, she mixed up the batter and peeled and sliced the apples. Once the batter was poured into a round cake pan, she artfully arranged the slices on top in a pinwheel pattern. The cake now in the oven, it was time to get started on the eggs. Sandor watched from the kitchen table while sipping his coffee. It felt good to be in the house and just living, not working on it, not packing, just existing. It felt good to be home.


	16. Chapter 16

ONE YEAR LATER

 

It had been one year since Sandor and Sansa spent their first night together, and they had become closer than ever. They took turns spending the night at each other’s place, though they often always at breakfast at Sansa’s. It only took a week before she said, “I love you” and he said the same in reply.  With the renovations over, Sansa was able to resume her watercolor painting. She often painted at the kitchen table since that was the only place that had enough room. She would paint flowers, birds, bees, trees...nature was her favorite muse. All of the paintings were listed online and stored in the reading nook until they sold. To her surprise, she found that she was able to make more than enough to cover her living expenses and still have some left over.

 

Sandor was ever the supportive boyfriend. He told everyone he came across that his girlfriend was a painter and that they would want to get a painting for their home before they were all gone. In fact, he often joked that Sansa should give him a sales commission. The two of them led a deliciously quiet existence. As long as they were together, life was good. 

 

One morning, as Sansa was cuddled up against him, stroking his chest, Sandor felt the need to interrupt the quiet.

 

“I’ve been thinking.”

 

“Oh no...that’s never good.”

 

“I’ve been thinking...we should live together.”

 

“You’re silly.”

 

“Why is that silly?”

 

“Because.  Look, we’ve gone through this, I’ve told you a million times that I wouldn’t feel right living with someone unless I was married. Don’t you listen to me when I speak to you?  Do any of my words get through that thick skull of yours?”

 

Sandor cleared his throat, stifling a chuckle. “Yes...about that.” He stood, opened the top drawer of his nightstand, shut it again, and then walked over toward Sansa’s side of the bed, one hand behind his back. He stood in front of her, then without hesitation, lowered himself onto one knee. He brought the hidden hand forward, revealing that it contained a beautifully carved wooden ring box. He opened it and held it in front of her. The ring was exquisite, it had been designed by Sandor and crafted by a local artist. It was a rose gold band with a five carat white topaz. He had remembered Sansa going on about diamonds being a waste of money. He had listened. 

 

“Sansa.” He took a deep breath. “I know I’m not romantic or sentimental, but I also know that I love you more than I have ever loved anyone or anything...more than I ever thought was possible. And to be loved by you in return has been...it makes me feel like every day is my birthday.” Sansa’s eyes were already welling with hot tears that soon left wet trails down her face. “I want to be your husband, and take care of everything you need. And I want you to be my wife, and keep my belly full and my balls empty.” Sansa laughed, wiping at her tears with one hand. “So...Sansa, my love, my little bird...will you marry me?” 

 

“Oh, Sandor.”


	17. Chapter 17

“Yes!” Sansa jumped to her feet and flung her arms around his neck, then leaned down and gave him a kiss.  “Yes, yes, yes!”

 

Sandor grinned wildly and placed the ring on her finger, then took joy in watching her stare at it in amazement.

 

“When did you…”

 

“I’ve had it for months. I knew long time ago.”

 

“Oh, you’re awful!  How could you keep a secret from me?”

 

“It  wasn’t easy. Are you happy?”

 

“It’s better than anything I could have asked for.”

 

“So, does this mean you’ll live with me?”

 

“Well, technically we aren’t married, we’re engaged to be married, but...I suppose I can overlook that. Yes, I’ll live with you.”

 

Sandor stood and wrapped his arms around her, then flung the both of them back onto the bed.

 

“I suppose this means I’m going to have to make some improvements to my house...our house.”

 

“Oh, is that so?  You’re assuming that we’re going to live at your house?  What’s wrong with my house?”

 

“Nothing’s wrong with it, we’ve made it practically brand new, it’s just...my house has the extra bedroom, for..”

 

“For what exactly?”

 

“Stuff.”

 

“Planning on acquiring...stuff...any time soon?”

 

“No, but, it’s good to know that there’s space for them. It. The stuff.”

 

Sansa sighed in defeat. “You’re right. It makes more sense to move into a bigger place.  I’ll call around and see if I can find a decent real estate agent.”

 

“Well, while you do that, I’ll just take a soak in your tub.”

 

“You’ve got to be joking.  One of your legs wouldn’t fit in that tub, nevermind the rest of you.”

 

“Oh...well maybe you can get in the tub and I’ll sit on the edge of it.”

 

“That doesn’t make any sense, there’s no way you’d get clean that w….oh. Oh, you’re dirty.”

 

“Yep. And I need a bath. Let’s go!”


	18. Chapter 18

As soon as Sansa could get Sandor to keep his hands off of her long enough, she called and found a real estate agent who agreed to stop by and take a look at the house. In the meantime, she and Sandor began packing up her belongings. They had decided to keep the best of her furniture, and the best of his, and donate the rest. When the realtor dropped by later, she remarked on how great the house looked, and eagerly took on the task of selling it. An open house was scheduled for the following weekend, and there was already interest due to the online posting she had made. 

 

Once again, Sandor and Sansa spent the afternoon at his place, perched by the front window, watching all of the potential buyers come and go. More people came by compared to the year before, which hopefully would result in more offers. When it was over, they went back to Sansa’s place. After a briefing from the agent, they were finally alone and able to relax. Sandor sprawled out on the couch with Sansa up against his side.

 

“Sansa, do you have a dream wedding?”

 

“No. I’ve never given it much thought before you.”

 

“Well, let’s think about it now. What kind of wedding would you like?”

 

“Honestly?”

 

“Please.”

 

“I don’t really care.  I just want to be your wife, and for you to be my husband. I think big weddings and exotic honeymoons are a waste of money. The marriage is more important than the wedding.”

 

“Agreed. So, what should we do?”

 

“Well, what if we just go to the courthouse?”

 

“Could be a decent idea. We’d be married, and it would cost us less than those boots you threw away last year.”

 

“Hey, you’re going below the belt.”

 

“No...but I’d like to.”

 

***

 

The next day, Sansa received a call from the real estate agent. There were five offers on the house so far. The agent wanted her to hold out for more, but Sansa just wanted to get the place sold and move on, so she accepted the highest offer and it was done.

 

That afternoon, Sandor came over in his best outfit, a pair of grey pants, a button down shirt, and a suit jacket. Sansa wore a dress that she usually wore to other people’s weddings as a guest. It was periwinkle blue and not too short, with a modest neckline. They went to the courthouse and said their vows, officially becoming man and wife. Sansa held a bouquet of hydrangeas from her grandmother’s garden, so it was as if she was there in some small way.

 

When they returned home, they spent most of their time in the bedroom, only coming out for meals and the occasional bathroom break. Between rounds, Sandor would beam at her, soothing her with soft words and tender caresses. They had been sleeping together for over a year, but somehow it felt new. 


	19. Chapter 19

Moving day had finally arrived. Sandor and Sansa had managed to move all of the furniture with just his truck, saving them a fortune in rental fees. Sansa turned in her little rental car. Now that she was living with Sandor, they would likely be going everywhere together, so there was no need for a second vehicle. 

 

Making Sandor’s house a home for two was going to take some doing. Although he picked up after himself, he didn’t seem to clean much. There was a layer of dust on just about everything, and the floor hadn’t been swept or mopped in who knows how long. The kitchen was clean, but that wasn’t much of a surprise given the fact that he never used it. For over a year now he had been eating at Sansa’s for almost every meal, at her urging. The thought of him eating bag after bag of greasy fast food was unsettling to her.  She liked making sure that he had eaten well, and there was something satisfying about feeding him a good meal.

 

Sandor had his stove repaired and built another set of shelves, just like the ones he had made in the other house. Again, they were for showcasing her grandmother’s china. She placed the plates carefully, making sure they were steady before letting go. Sandor’s cabinets and small pantry were practically empty, save for a couple of dusty bottles of liquor. It was a good thing, because it meant there was plenty of room for everything from the other house. A couple hours of dusting and wiping down countertops and cabinets, and the kitchen was starting to look useable.

 

Sansa had decided that they would have steak and roasted potatoes for dinner, so she got to work letting the steaks come to room temperature on the counter while she chopped the potatoes and tossed them in a small amount of oil. Once the potatoes had been in the oven for twenty minutes, she got to work seasoning the steaks and setting them in a hot cast iron pan on the stove. She finished them in the oven until they were a perfect medium rare, and then called Sandor in for dinner.

 

Sandor devoured his meal, as usual. He was always so grateful that she made such delicious food for him. Sansa picket at her dinner. She’d take a bite, chew it a bit, grimace, then spit it out into her napkin.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Why are you sorry?”

 

“It tastes awful. I must have seasoned it wrong.”

 

“You’re crazy, it’s perfect. Look, mine is almost gone.”

 

“Maybe it’s just mine, then. It tastes like metal or chemicals or something.”

 

“Probably just from being around those cleaning supplies all day. Why don’t you wrap it up and save it for later.”

 

Sansa did as he said, wrapping her plate in plastic wrap and sticking it in the refrigerator. 

 

“I’m really tired, I think I’m going to lie down.”

 

“It’s only eight thirty!”

 

“I know, it’s just been a long day. You can stay up as long as you want, but I need to get some sleep.”

 

Sandor kissed her goodnight and she went into their bedroom. Almost the moment her head hit the pillow, she drifted off into a deep sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

A few days later, Sandor and Sansa woke up in bed next to one another, as married couples normally do. Sansa jumped up and hurriedly put on her robe. Sandor looked at her like she was crazy.

 

“What’s going on with you?  Why are you moving so fast?”

 

“I just really want some coffee. I’m going to go make us a pot.”

 

“Okay. I’ll come with you.”

 

“No!” She looked almost frantic. “You should shower first. It’ll really help to wake you up.”

 

“Are you on drugs?”

 

“No, no, no. You get in the shower, I’m making the coffee. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

 

Sansa ran toward the kitchen and started a pot of coffee brewing. Sandor could smell the coffee even in the shower, and when he stepped out to dry off, he could hear Sansa messing about with the oven door. She must have opened and closed it a dozen times. He quickly got dressed and met her in the kitchen.

 

“What’s going on in here?”

 

“Oh, hey. Yeah. I, uh, I think the oven is broken.”

 

“That’s a pretty general statement. What part of the oven is broken?”

 

“The...the inside part. Go ahead take a look.” Sansa stood nervously, fussing with her hands.

 

Sandor walked over to the oven, opened the door, and looked inside.  On the top rack there was a single hamburger bun.

 

“Sansa, you’re being really weird and it’s starting to scare me.”

 

“There’s a bun in the oven.”

 

“Yes, I see that.  Why were you trying to bake an already baked thing?”

 

“No, you don’t get it.  There's. A. Bun. In. The. Oven.” Seeing that he still wasn’t getting it, Sansa put one hand on her belly and raised both eyebrows.

 

Without saying a word, Sandor pulled her to him for a hug, being careful not to squish their bodies together too hard. 

 

“How long have you known?”

 

“Since yesterday. I took a test at the drugstore. That’s why I was in the bathroom for so long.”

 

“You’re awful, keeping a secret from me.”

 

“It wasn’t easy. Are you happy?”

 

He nodded and lifted her chin with one finger. “It’s better than anything I could have asked for.”


End file.
